I rather liked the guy dressed as bender with a sign that said kill all humans. Honestly people should get together and do stuff like this more often it makes for some rather amusing pictures. perhaps even the people who are serious protesters will realize how crazy out their they are.
The other problem in the US is that advertisers can basically say anything. You can make an ad stating that you run a network of psychics, that your political opponent is a child molester, just about anything at all. The only retribution may be that people will complain after the fact, but that doesn't stop you from getting complete bullshit on the air. Many people will believe anything said or shown on TV as facts.
claiming your political opponent is a child molester is a great way to get a libel or slander suit, depending on how you do it. demanding to know why your opponent wont deny being a child molester, on the other hand...
I felt the same way. It's a brilliant counter protest. There's really no response to pointing out how ridiculous people look.
perhaps even the people who are serious protesters will realize how crazy out their they are.
Never happen. It's not about rational thought, it's about Us vs Them. If anything it'll strengthen the group cohesion of the crazies and make them crazier. They'll just shrug it off as another sign they're winning against the commie faggot hippie liberals and their insane robot cartoon pr
They don't even care about that - because Phelps and his gang aren't True Believers who want other people to agree with them, they're sociopaths and professional trolls who want attention, and negative attention is the best kind because it might give them another lawsuit. The best case they can get is a town trying to ban them, but if they can't get that, then having somebody punch them when there's a cop around means they can sue the guy who did it and also sue the cops for not protecting them would work.
An interesting perspective. I suspect you're right that these people are motivated by fame. I don't know that they aren't "true believers" though. I do think we're in agreement that there's really nothing that'll stop these people other than running out of money. Flying all over the country can't be cheap, nor can suing people. I guess I don't understand how they continue to win these lawsuits.
Perhaps the right approach is to start a fund to pay lawyers to fight the lawsuits? Doesn't matter if you win or not, just keep the thing tied up in court and bleed Phelps dry.
Lawsuits are a lot cheaper if you're doing the work yourself and not paying a lawyer. They could fly somewhere if they're in a hurry, but driving a camper is probably cheaper and gives you a place to stay, and for the most part they can pick and choose targets for convenience.
And they can keep winning lawsuits because they keep annoying towns or cops into violating their civil rights or people into punching them or whatever. And if people wise up and stop doing that, the Phelpsies just think of new ways t
And they can keep winning lawsuits because they keep annoying towns or cops into violating their civil rights or people into punching them or whatever.
The point is to stop them from winning. Just delay delay delay. Don't settle. Lawsuits may be cheap to fight, but without the income for years upon years, why fight them?
Normally lawsuits are all about the money. The other side gives up once it's economical to do so. With a large fund to fight Phelps, the economics of settling go out the window.
Veni, Vidi, VISA:
I came, I saw, I did a little shopping.
Heh (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Or the serious / crazy protesters might conclude that the Bender / etc. guys are serious (Poe's Law) - do we really want that? ;p
Re: (Score:2)
i guess its not a question of want, but of inevitability...
Not bloody likely... (Score:2)
perhaps even the people who are serious protesters will realize how crazy out their they are.
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/10/07/14/1235220/Given-Truth-the-Misinformed-Believe-Lies-More [slashdot.org]
Re: (Score:1)
The other problem in the US is that advertisers can basically say anything. You can make an ad stating that you run a network of psychics, that your political opponent is a child molester, just about anything at all. The only retribution may be that people will complain after the fact, but that doesn't stop you from getting complete bullshit on the air. Many people will believe anything said or shown on TV as facts.
Re: (Score:2)
claiming your political opponent is a child molester is a great way to get a libel or slander suit, depending on how you do it. demanding to know why your opponent wont deny being a child molester, on the other hand...
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
No one can sue for liable.
Re: (Score:2)
I felt the same way. It's a brilliant counter protest. There's really no response to pointing out how ridiculous people look.
perhaps even the people who are serious protesters will realize how crazy out their they are.
Never happen. It's not about rational thought, it's about Us vs Them. If anything it'll strengthen the group cohesion of the crazies and make them crazier. They'll just shrug it off as another sign they're winning against the commie faggot hippie liberals and their insane robot cartoon pr
Trolls don't mind ridicule if it's loud enough (Score:3, Interesting)
They don't even care about that - because Phelps and his gang aren't True Believers who want other people to agree with them, they're sociopaths and professional trolls who want attention, and negative attention is the best kind because it might give them another lawsuit. The best case they can get is a town trying to ban them, but if they can't get that, then having somebody punch them when there's a cop around means they can sue the guy who did it and also sue the cops for not protecting them would work.
Re:Trolls don't mind ridicule if it's loud enough (Score:5, Interesting)
An interesting perspective. I suspect you're right that these people are motivated by fame. I don't know that they aren't "true believers" though. I do think we're in agreement that there's really nothing that'll stop these people other than running out of money. Flying all over the country can't be cheap, nor can suing people. I guess I don't understand how they continue to win these lawsuits.
Perhaps the right approach is to start a fund to pay lawyers to fight the lawsuits? Doesn't matter if you win or not, just keep the thing tied up in court and bleed Phelps dry.
Phelps's daughter's a lawyer (Score:2)
Lawsuits are a lot cheaper if you're doing the work yourself and not paying a lawyer. They could fly somewhere if they're in a hurry, but driving a camper is probably cheaper and gives you a place to stay, and for the most part they can pick and choose targets for convenience.
And they can keep winning lawsuits because they keep annoying towns or cops into violating their civil rights or people into punching them or whatever. And if people wise up and stop doing that, the Phelpsies just think of new ways t
Re: (Score:2)
And they can keep winning lawsuits because they keep annoying towns or cops into violating their civil rights or people into punching them or whatever.
The point is to stop them from winning. Just delay delay delay. Don't settle. Lawsuits may be cheap to fight, but without the income for years upon years, why fight them?
Normally lawsuits are all about the money. The other side gives up once it's economical to do so. With a large fund to fight Phelps, the economics of settling go out the window.